Glaciers across Uttarakhand are retreating at alarming rates as reduced snowfall and increased rainfall disturb their natural balance, according to multiple studies by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. Researchers say many glaciers are shrinking by 5 to 20 meters every year, with some like the Chorabari Glacier receding 6 to 8 meters annually. In the Zanskar region, certain glaciers are retreating at up to 20 meters per year.
Dr. Rakesh Bhambri of the Wadia Institute explained that areas above 5,000 meters once saw regular snowfall, but now receive heavier-than-normal monsoon rains. Rising temperatures and excess rainfall are accelerating glacier melt, a trend confirmed by satellite imagery in research papers published in 2023 and 2025.
Scientists warn that melting glaciers destabilize mountain slopes, increasing the risk of landslides and avalanches. Glacial retreat also threatens water availability in the coming decades and can create unstable glacial lakes that pose flooding hazards.
Dr. Manish Mehta noted that the institute is monitoring 11 glaciers across Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh. Most are showing reduced mass balance and faster melting. In Uttarakhand, six research centers are tracking these changes.
Human activity in high-altitude areas is compounding the problem. Geologist Dr. Dinesh Sati highlighted that glacier-fed rivers like the Alaknanda, Nandakini, Dhauliganga, and Rishiganga are experiencing rising water levels. Professor D.S. Bagdi of Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University added that heavier rainfall at high altitudes loosens soil and sends massive boulders tumbling downhill, triggering disasters.
Bageshwar district’s Pindari Glacier has been hit especially hard. Scientists estimate it has shrunk by more than 700 meters over the last 60 years. Where visitors once viewed ice at “Zero Point,” they must now trek farther uphill to find snow. Senior glaciologist Dr. D.P. Dobhal warns that above-average rainfall further hastens glacial melt, underscoring the combined impacts of global warming and changing precipitation patterns on the fragile Himalayan ecosystem.
